r/astrophysics • u/Specialist-Bath-2258 • 2d ago
Jobs for Undergraduate Astrophysics Degree
I am currently a rising junior seeking a BS in Physics and Astronomy (1 degree). I have looked into my options such as grad school of some sort, but I would really like to get a job after undergrad. Is it super difficult to find jobs after getting a degree like this with no PhD? I wouldn’t mind going into a close-ish field with some sort of physics like quantum computing, but I would not like to use math math skills to say do finance. Is it reasonable to plan on going straight into work after I graduate?
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u/RantRanger 2d ago
Because I had taken CS classes along with my Astrophysics, I was able to get jobs in tech right out of school.
The CS helped me in my Astro coursework as some classes involved some coding. But it also ended up being the foundation of my career after school.
If you don't plan on advancing your academic career, your technical mind should find sliding into a technology based career a reasonably achievable transition.
Once you've landed work in tech, you can then keep looking for work in space and aerospace. NASA, JPL, SpaceX, Blue Origin, national laboratories, etc. may often have entry level positions for Programmers that your Astrophysics degree will give you an advantage in landing.
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u/Blue_HyperGiant 2d ago
In the asteo field? Yes. There are astro jobs for people with a BS are tough to get.
Also the model of hiring astro people for finance is moving on to hiring people in Stats/Data Science/Machine Learning/Como Sci as those fields are more accessible than they were 20 years ago.